Swing bowling

[vcs]

With caveats. Anderson only on one of his good days (if swinging it means swinging it consistently and with control).

Zaheer and Praveen only if 'with pace' is not a requirement.



Agreed. He can seam it in at very high speed, though. Of the current crop of fast bowlers, as a complete test package, no one comes anywhere remotely close to Steyn.

What might have been: Bond. The booming inswinger was his stock ball, but in the later part of his career he used the outswinger as a surprise weapon with great effect. Along with Steyn, would have become one of the all-time greats if he was less fragile.




Absolutely brilliant in patches. The spell I remember most vividly is a magical spell of nine overs - almost all of them bowled at Tendulkar, who had already made a half-century by then (Nottingham, 2007). Sachin was beaten with such regularity that one lost count how many times. There was a moment charged with poignancy at the end of that spell when the bowler, sporting a forlorn smile, put his arms around the shoulders of the great batsman who had managed to survive.

Sidebottom ended up with the incongruous figures of 36-11-75-1 for the innings, but the excellence of those nine overs was confirmed by Tendulkar two years later, when he described it as 'one of the best spells I have ever faced in my career'.

Yeah, I remember that. Anderson also hit him on the helmet I think. He was also beaten an amazing number of times in his recent century at Cape Town by Steyn and Tsotsobe. Perhaps there's something to be said about playing inside the line of the ball when the ball is really moving around for the bowlers. Hussey seemed to get beaten an incredible number of times in the recent Ashes and still piled on the runs.

 

[Borges]

Perhaps there's something to be said about playing inside the line of the ball when the ball is really moving around for the bowlers. Hussey seemed to get beaten an incredible number of times in the recent Ashes and still piled on the runs.

Unconfirmed by Tendulkar himself, but still..

But then Tendulkar survived that inquisition. Sidebottom had bowled nine overs and had conceded just seven runs; five of them were beautiful maidens. Incidentally, only one of those overs was faced by Sourav Ganguly all the others were taken care of, not smartly at all, by Tendulkar.

So how did Tendulkar come out of that ordeal unscathed, in a manner of speaking? Was he lucky? Or was Sidebottom unfortunate? Well, the truth is there was a huge tactic at play during that spell: Tendulkar batted to a plan, just to ward off the dangerous Sidebottom.

According to sources close to the team, Tendulkar was worried about the sharp in-cutters from the left-armer.

"Sidebottom had looked virtually unplayable with the new ball. He makes it come back so much that it's difficult to read him. If you remember Karthik got hit on his pads almost every time at Lord's.

"Tendulkar decided to tackle him in his own way. He played for the incoming ball and the straighter one each and every time. So he was fine, whenever the ball held its line or came back into him. But the moment it moved away, it looked like he was getting beaten. The point is, during those instances, the ball was nowhere near the edge", he explained.

Though, for sure it didn't look like that to me.

 

[mono]

^^ That i suppose is one of the definitive elements tendulkar's game, his mental discipline was almost absolute & he was grounded enough to admit his limitations. In some sense this also distinguishes sachin from lara, lara would have taken on sidebottom. Although given lara's monumental talent, there was some possibility of him pulling it off.

 

[Spark]

Yeah, I remember that. Anderson also hit him on the helmet I think. He was also beaten an amazing number of times in his recent century at Cape Town by Steyn and Tsotsobe. Perhaps there's something to be said about playing inside the line of the ball when the ball is really moving around for the bowlers. Hussey seemed to get beaten an incredible number of times in the recent Ashes and still piled on the runs.

Yeah this is true. Whilst Ponting, Clarke and even Watson at times would go leave-leave-leave-nick-out, because they tried to follow the ball when the played rather than just playing down a line.

Tendulkar was certainly beaten a lot of times during Steyn's unbelievable spell of bowling in the 3rd Test too, but again, that's because he was religiously playing firmly inside the ball (and batting a mile outside his crease too). Was an exhibition on how to survive swing bowling of the highest quality (which it was)

Anderson sometimes gets into the habit of overusing his inswinger to RHs tbh. Tries to be too clever and doesn't look anywhere near as dangerous when he bowls inswingers as his stock ball. He did it during the last half of the 09 Ashes and went from the most consistently threatening bowler on either side to useless... was being picked off through square leg from inswingers outside off. Having said that, the Anderson then =/= the Anderson of now.

 

[Jacknife]

Yeah this is true. Whilst Ponting, Clarke and even Watson at times would go leave-leave-leave-nick-out, because they tried to follow the ball when the played rather than just playing down a line.

Tendulkar was certainly beaten a lot of times during Steyn's unbelievable spell of bowling in the 3rd Test too, but again, that's because he was religiously playing firmly inside the ball (and batting a mile outside his crease too). Was an exhibition on how to survive swing bowling of the highest quality (which it was)

Anderson sometimes gets into the habit of overusing his inswinger to RHs tbh. Tries to be too clever and doesn't look anywhere near as dangerous when he bowls inswingers as his stock ball. He did it during the last half of the 09 Ashes and went from the most consistently threatening bowler on either side to useless... was being picked off through square leg from inswingers outside off. Having said that, the Anderson then =/= the Anderson of now.

I was watching highlights yesterday, of the Pakistan series last year and the thing that stuck in my mind about Anderson, is that he only uses the inswinger to both the right and left handers as a surprise ball and after some one has been watching the ball swing across him, the inswinger becomes almost unplayable. Like you say, I think Anderson has become a much better bowler these last couple of years and has developed his game greatly under Saker, especially when it's not swinging.

 

[Ikki]

That Ponting video is awesome.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Who said Steyn couldn't bring it back in?

EDIT: Should've looked closer. That's seam.

 

[vcs]

Who said Steyn couldn't bring it back in?

EDIT: Should've looked closer. That's seam.

That was pretty amazing. He got Tendulkar LBW in the 1st innings at Centurion doing exactly that, outswinger, outswinger, outswinger, followed by the one that rapidly skids onto the pads off the pitch.

 

[Dan]

At the moment I think Zaheer Khan's proven himself to be a freakishly good bowler. The way he's going at the moment is incredible.

Ponting's bowling there is unbelievable. To be one of the best batsmen ever (arguably) and still have the ability to bowl to that sort of standard is amazing. Puts it into perspective just how good these players are. Playing a grade game (for example) against Ponting, you'd be worried about his batting, not 120km/h+ inswingers flying down at you.

Did Greg Blewett move the ball both ways? I remember seeing videos of some huge outswingers IIRC, but can't recall seeing him moving them in.

On a domestic level, Trent Copeland moves the ball both ways as far as I know. Sure he barely gets above medium pace, but he's taken tons of wickets at not many in his first 2 seasons.

 

[Top_Cat]

Did Greg Blewett move the ball both ways? I remember seeing videos of some huge outswingers IIRC, but can't recall seeing him moving them in.

Used to be footage on YT of Blewett bowling Sherwin Campbell with a hooping in-swinger in the late 90's. Was reverse swing, though. Anyway, Blewwy could swing it both ways but, as you said, was more of an out-swing bowler. Was good enough to bowl Prospect to a premiership, took 6-fer in a grade final.

 

[Shri]

Junaid Khan can swing it both ways. Only a matter of time before he plays tests.

 

[TumTum]

Rick Ponting clearly criminally under-rated with the ball. Check the hoop!

The time he got Vaughan was one of the most glorious moments in Ashes history. In a weaker team, he probably would have bowled more. Was no mug.

He's got a really good seam position and release for swing. Unfortunately though his body action is definitely not suited for fast bowling, does genuinely look like a batsman rolling the arm over.

 

[Top_Cat]

He's got a really good seam position and release for swing. Unfortunately though his body action is definitely not suited for fast bowling, does genuinely look like a batsman rolling the arm over.

haha, I'm sure the batters were deeply unimpressed with his style when he beat them for pace. Reckon had he been a regular bowler, he'd have tightened up his action a bit.

Little known fact about Ponting, when he was at the academy in the 90's, Justin Langer walked into the nets without a thighpad against Ponting who, obvs, took it as a sign of disrespect and tried to kill him. Roughed him up a few times before he corked his thigh and put him out of action for weeks. Make no mistake, Ponting was quick.

I only know this because then he rolled out for a C-grade match against my club as a ringer and with a corked thigh, took them for a big double.

****.

 

[zaremba]

Never seen anyone with the ability to bowl both inswing and outswing, orthodox and reverse, like Jimmy. I'm not saying he's a better bowler than Steyn but his ability to move the ball is pretty exceptional.

Love that Ponting video. Looked sharp! Posted by robelinda, natch.

 

[Beamer]

Jerome Taylor swings it both ways at pace. Of course I'm not surprised he hasn't been mentioned because it's been so long since he actually played an international cricket match!

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Jerome Taylor swings it both ways at pace. Of course I'm not surprised he hasn't been mentioned because it's been so long since he actually played an international cricket match!

All I remember of his bowling is that absolute peach he bowled Pietersen with.

Very full out swinger, pitching middle, ripping out off.

 

[smash84]

Junaid Khan can swing it both ways. Only a matter of time before he plays tests.

not too sure about Junaid Khan

 

[Himannv]

Sachin Tendulkar.

 

[Howe_zat]

Sachin Tendulkar.

Would've got Bradman out easily.